Direction-indicator



A. TANAKA.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1920.

1,361,415. Patented 911111920.

4| INVENTOR U ARATARO TANAKA. FIG-.5. BY

ARATARO TANAKA, OF REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. *7, 1920.

Application filed March 9, 1920. Serial No. 364,379.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARATARO TANAKA, Waiter, a subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at- Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in direction indicators, and the object of the invention is to devise a simple form of direction indicator whereby the direction is indicated simultaneously both forward and rearward of the automobile, by means of lights contrasting in color, and it consists essentially in the arrangement of parts which is hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1 is an elevation of my indicator attached "to a portion of a wind shield frame.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the center of the indicator.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional detail intermediately broken away of its length.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 indicates a portion of a windshield frame. 2 is a bracket comprising a vertical arm 3 which is suitably secured to the wind shield frame and a rectangular portion 4 extending outward from the wind shield at right angles to the side of the automobile. The upper horizontal arm 5 of the rectangular portion 4 forms a bearing member upon which my indicator is carried. 6 is a hexagonal casing which is secured upon the arm 5 in a stationary position and is provided in its front and rear walls 7 and 8 with rectangular orifices 9 and 10 through which the signals are flashed by mechanism which I will hereinafter describe. 11 is a reflector carried by the end "wall 12 of the casing 6. 13 are incandescent bulbs which are carried by the wall 12 of the casing 6 and extend through orifices 14 in the reflector 11. The lead wires extending to the incandescent bulbs 13 are preferably carried in the frame 4 which is preferably formed tubular. 15 is an inner casing which is also mounted upon the horizontal arm 5 of the frame 4 and is revoluble thereon. The inner casing 15 is also hexagonal, its sides being provided with orifices 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21 in which are secured colored glasses 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27. The glasses 22 and 25 are of the same color, the glasses 27 and 24 are also of the same color as are also the glasses 23 and 26, that is to say, opposite glasses are similar in color so that the light admitted at any one time through the orifices 9 and 10 is the same color. 28 is a reflector carried at one end of the inner casing 15 opposite the stationary reflector 11 hereinbefore described. One end of the casmg, or that end adjacent to the reflector 28 is closed at 29 and the opposite end is open, such end of the casing being sup ported by a spider 30 connected with the casing 1n proximity to its open end and to the bearing sleeve 31 turnably carried upon the arm 5. The inner end of the sleeve 31 extends inwardly beyond the wall 29 of the lnner casing. 32 is a ratchet wheel which is. secured to the sleeve 31. 33 is a lever provided with a forked portion, the arms of which extend at each side of the ratchet wheel 32, each arm being provided with an annular end 34 swung upon the hub of the ratchet wheel 32. 42 is a spring pressed dog carried by the arm 33 so as to successively engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel '32 as the arm is swung from one position to the other. The movement of the lever 33 is limited by pins 35'and 36 carried by the stationary casing6. The lever 33 is connected by a spring 37 to the stationary casing 6 at 38. 39 is a chain extending from the lever through a slot 40 formed in the stationary casing 6, the chain 39 passing forward to a position in proximity to the drivers seat so as to be operated by the driver. In order to prevent the reverse movement of the ratchet wheel 32, I provide a spring dog finger 41 carried by the stationary casing 6 and engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel as will be clearly seen on referring to Fig. 2. Having described the principal parts involved in my invention, I will briefly describe the operation of the same. It will be readily understood that various colored lights may be arranged in a code to indicate the difi'erent signals such for instance, red might indicate ahead, greenright and blueleft', or any other suitable arrangement desired. As before stated, the opposite colored glasses carried by the inner casing are of the same color so that, presuming that red indicates ahead and the device, as shown in the drawing, is in the ahead position, the plates 22 and 25 Will both be red and the same red signal would be exhibited through the orifices 9 and 10. If the right position is desired, the chain 39 is pulled until the green plates, Which-may be plates 26 and 23 Would be brought opposite to the orifices 9 and 10. Similarly, the plates 24 and 27 Which may be of such a color as to indicate left may be brought into position opposite to the orifices 9 and 10 to give the corresponding'signal.

From this description it will be seen that I have devised a very simple device 'which will readily indicate the direction which an automobile is about to take and which is simple and cheap in construction, and

will simultaneously exhibit both forwardly and rearwardly the signal indicating the direction.

What I claim as my invention is:

A signal comprising an outer stationary Windowed casing, a stationary reflector Within the casing carried by one end Wall thereof, an inner rotatable signal casing having one end closed and the opposite end open to receive therein the stationary reflector, a second reflector opposing said first reflector and carried by the opposite end Wall of said inner casing, a lighting unit extending through said stationary reflector, and means for rotating said inner casin ARATARO rA1' IAKA.- 

